Coffee's For Closer
by sharkswillruledaWORLD
Summary: Haruno Sakura was known for her tendency to always space out during the most unfortunate moments, what happens when she finds herself in an unknown place?


**Coffee's For Closers**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Naruto, unless I was to miraculously win a considerable sum of money and bribed with it Masashi Kishimoto to let me take leadership of the Naruto empire, but obviously that won't happen anytime soon... Or ever. **

She still could remember the day when she saw it. The shabby looking café. Honestly, it always felt as if it just happened yesterday, not almost three years now.

It was a bright sunny spring day in Konoha, a small city compared to Tokyo, but the biggest in the Five Elemental Regions of Japan. The pink haired woman had been so lost in thoughts, she didn't notice where her feet were leading her. And whenever she thought back about it, she thanked God for not leading her to some rapist lair. It all started with her revising for the upcoming finals of her second year in Konoha University. All her friends knew that she had always wanted to be a doctor, ever since the death of her parents, and also knew that she didn't waste an opportunity to learn and study. The nineteen, soon to be twenty, years old woman was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't know where she was once she looked up from her notes. Sakura remembered that her best friends, Naruto and Sasuke, told her to meet at some coffee shop after she finished her day. The only thing they told her was that she was in for a surprise. Now that she thought about it, the two idiots didn't specify where exactly they were supposed to meet. Giving off a frustrated sigh, she tried to calm her nerves and think about her situation logically. After all, if she wanted to be a renowned surgeon like her idol, Senjū Tsunade, she had to stay levelheaded during all kind of situations.

Looking around herself, the pinkette saw that she wasn't in a street that she knew of. In fact, she stood in the middle of a small park. It was beautiful, even if it was clear that the owners didn't take good care of it. The long trees were hiding the setting sun and giving off an eerie aura to the small place. Vines circled around the tall pine trees, giving the uncared for park a surreal image, belonging to some tropical island. The grass was a soft green and a small pond which had become green with seaweed merged in a corner of the small park. It was clear that this place used to be enchanting, but with time it deteriorated. Ranging her notes in her messenger bag, she felt a wisp of wind moving around her the leaves. A chill ran down her back as she tightened the black hoodie she was wearing around her person.

Looking up, she noticed the two floors house. It was built in a Victorian style, which only seemed to increase the feeling of strangeness in her guts. The door was a cracked yellowing white. A long vine was encircling the door and reaching toward a window on the second floor. Sakura couldn't distinguish anything through the white curtains, only immobile dark shapes. _What if no one was there? _She frowned at the prospect of being lost with no one to guide her out of here. _No, I've already decided that I would stop depending on others to save me._

Nodding firmly, Sakura gripped her bag tightly and walked with a more confidant bounce in her steps to the imposing door. _I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. It's not like the door is going to eat me alive. _Once she stood on the porch, she bit her lip nervously. _What if this was really a rapist lair?_ Shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts that would most likely break her resolve, the pink haired woman knocked on the door louder than she intended to do, as if resigning her fate. Her mind screamed at her in a voice that reminded her of her Inner to flee as fast as she could from this creepy place. Nevertheless, her body wouldn't budge. She felt as if there was a force stopping her from going away, as if she was meant to be there and not somewhere else. She couldn't explain the sudden attraction that didn't allow her to skedaddle and forget about this place. Just as her feet started to twitch, the short woman heard the loud approaching steps of a man. Obviously a woman wouldn't be this loud, _unless it was Ino-pig_. Her mind supplied snidely, as if to lighten the tense atmosphere that she had engulfed herself in.

While she was considering the fact that she might go pay a visits to her childhood psychiatrist for the possible reappearance of Inner Sakura, the pinkette didn't realize that the door was already open and that the supposed rapist was watching her with an amused twinkle in his eyes, or rather in his left eye.

"Yare, yare. Sakura-chan I always knew that you'll find yourself in some strange situations if you continued to space out like you always did, but never did I think that this situation would include myself." The silver haired man drawled with a slight chuckle. It seemed that his voice alone was enough to snap the pinkette from her thoughts.

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei?!" She asked while stuttering, her eyes gaping openly at the man who was smiling underneath his mask.

"Mou... Sakura-chan I thought I already told you that you shouldn't call me sensei." He said with a pout. "You'll make me feel old, which will stress me. And you know that you shouldn't stress your elders." He finished while shaking his finger, as if reprimanding a child for not listening to his parents.

"Sensei, you're not even forty." She dead panned. "Besides I'm sure that you make women faint left and right wherever you go." She finished with a wink.

"Oh! Saku-chan you always knew how to flatter this old man." He said with his palms over both his cheeks, before suddenly becoming serious, immediately startling the young woman. "I'm not forty. I'm thirty four for your information, young lady!"

As soon as he finished talking, the pinkette started laughing and was soon joined by the silver haired man. The laughter soon died down and the two adults were struggling to calm down their breathing.

"Would you rather I called you Kakashi-ojii-san?"

They both cringed. It reminded them of when Sakura and her two best friends were still kids.

"No I think I'm fine with just plain old Kakashi." He nodded vigorously. "Ah, how rude of me! Enter Sakura-chan. You must think that I'm a bad host. Come in, come in."

She followed the man for whom she held more respect than anyone else. He was her homeroom teacher during her high school years. She remembered that as a freshman, it was also his first year teaching a class. He had been the only homeroom teacher her class got during all high school. Apparently, the only reason he wasn't fired or obliged to take on other classes was due to Jiraiya being the headmaster. But Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke, or the three musketeers as they were called ever since they heard of them, preferred to think that it was because he loved them, which wasn't that far from the truth. Of course Kakashi being Naruto's godfather, thus making the trio know him since they were in diapers, had nothing to do with it.

"I didn't know that you've moved Kakashi. Besides, I didn't know that you liked to be isolated from civilization." Sakura asked him while also noticing the lack of furniture which made the room look more spacious.

"Yare, yare... You really don't know where you are Sakura-chan? And here I thought that Naruto actually told you everything. That boy will be the end of me, and of Konoha if he ever succeeded in becoming its mayor." He said while shaking his head. "Anyways, what did that Baka tell you exactly?"

"Um... That I should meet him and Sasuke at a café and that I was in for a surprise." She answered with a confused expression on her face.

The older man let loose a deep sigh of tiredness before he replied. "What my dear godson forgot to mention is that I'm no longer a teacher in Konoha High-"

"What?!" She interrupted him before he could say anything. "You mean Jiraiya fired you?! Everyone knows that you're the best, even if you're lazy and read porn in public and your methods aren't the most orthodox ones out there, but you know what I mean. We wouldn't be where we are today without you! I'm going to have a few words with Jiraiya pervy-headmaster." The pinkette said while cracking her fingers as an angry aura engulfed the room.

"Ano, Sakura-chan before you go on killing poor master Jiraiya, you must know that I quit. He didn't fire me."

"Oh... _Oh!_" She said with a blank look. "And can I know why?"

Hatake Kakashi could honestly say that there were only three living women who could truly make him say that he was afraid. Two of these horrifying women were absent, thankfully. And the other one sadly stood in front of him. Even if she was fourteen years his junior and didn't even reach his shoulders, but _damn _was she scary as hell. She had crossed her arms over her well-developed chest -not that he was looking- and was tapping her foot angrily on the floor.

"Hatake answer me!" Yes, he could honestly say that he was in _deep shit._ Hiding his fear behind a mask of aloofness, as if he was going to tell her that she scared him to hell and back, the silver haired man answered her in his most cheerful voice.

"But of course it is for a change of scenery." Putting his hand on her back and pushing her slightly toward a long closed curtain that divided the floor in two, he said. "I welcome you to MY new café."

"...What." He sighed deeply. Her voice wasn't angry anymore. It meant that he evaded successfully the apocalypse. But he still had to explain everything unless he wanted to deal with another angry explosion.

"Mou... You know how I was never meant to be a teacher, Sakura-chan." He held up his hand before she could say anything. "Your class had been the first I've ever teached and the last I'll ever teach. It takes too much effort to teach brats, excluding you of course." He saved hastily before continuing. "And it doesn't leave me with enough time to read the great novels written by Jiraiya. So I decided to change this house into a café, and sell my old apartment. I'm sure it will cover everything I'll need concerning furniture. Besides, it's not like I bought this house, it used to be my parents'."

The pinkette adopted a calculative look. "You're going to fail. You'll need a whole crew to work for you. Who's going to cook, prepare tea, coffee and whatnots?"

"Well, I've already engaged a cook and a bartender. All I need now is a charming waitress to help me out." He looked at her hopefully and batting his eyelashes.

"No." She deadpanned. "And don't ever do that again."

"I knew it." Came a new voice from behind a bar that she hadn't noticed in the new room she was standing in.

"Hahaha... I told you so, Kakashi." Said the loud voice of one certain blond man.

"Shut up dobe." The first voice sneered. He had black hair standing at the back of his head in different directions, reminiscent of a duck's butt. His charcoal eyes seemed to glare daggers at the unsuspecting blond. His face was a ghostly white and his body was strongly built. He was twenty years old and was towering over the short pink haired woman. Sasuke Uchiha was the definition of a heartthrob and was classed highly in the chart of Konoha's Top Ten Hottest Bachelor. He was studying in Konoha University with the only two people he would call best friends. But unlike his female friend, he was majoring in criminology. He wanted to work alongside his brother in the Police Department ever since he was a child.

"Teme!" Replied the angry voice of the blond man. He had cerulean blue eyes and, contrary to his best friend and rival, was well-tanned. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze was always smiling which only seemed to add to his cuteness, as was decided by the female community of Konoha, including Sakura. Though she'll never admit out loud that she described Naruto as a fluffy little foxy. He too was going to KU, but was majoring in leadership and government. He had always wanted to be the best mayor Konoha had ever seen, like his father.

"Naruto, Sasuke. How kind and smart of you to tell me _exactly _where the café was and _exactly _what is going on instead of_ just _telling me to meet you at _some café." _If looks could kill, Kakashi was sure that the two boys would be six feet underneath.

"I knew you would be lost with your notes, so I didn't find it necessary to tell you exactly where. Besides, you have the amazing ability to find us wherever we may be, especially when we are fighting."

"Humph."

A silence ensued in which Sakura took the time to look over the spacious room. Without the curtain, it looked so big, reminding the young pinkette of the school where she used to take ballet classes. It was a long room with wooden walls, giving off a comfy aura. The bar where both her best friends stood was on the right wall, forming a stretched U. Behind the bar, were multiple shelves where the glasses would be put later on, and a big refrigerator. A small window showed the kitchen, where the treats would be cooked. Next to the bar stood two doors. One obviously led to the kitchen and the other to the toilets, judging by the piece of paper stuck on it. The front of the house was completely made of glass, however it was hidden with white translucent curtains, hiding this shop from the prying eyes of the world. There were a few tables with three chairs each here and there. They were all covered by a white drape, to protect it from the accumulating dust. On the far corner on the left wall, stood a round metallic staircase leading to the upper floor.

Someone clearing his throat snapped the almost twenty years old woman from her musings. Blushing a light shade of pink close to that of her hair, she returned her attention to her ex-sensei and the closest person to a father she had. Her two best friends were still arguing, a not so surprising fact truthfully.

"So, fancy working for me?" He asked with a cheerful smile, as deduced by the crinkle in his left eye.

"You do realize that we still are all going to KU, right?"

"But of course I do. That's why I've engaged both Tenzō Yamato and his nephew Sai." Just at the mention of the duo, all sounds left the room. Even the fighting idiots ceased their movement in favor of listening to this new turn of events. Just as Naruto was about to cry out loud in anger, the bell of the front door shimmered and the giddy voice of one silver haired man was heard saying 'first customer'.

"We're back, Kakashi-sempai!" Resounded the cheerful voice of one brown haired man through the silent shop, as a common sigh left the lips of all the original people present. Though, all of them were for different reasons. For Kakashi, it was at the thought of losing his first customer which was as far from the truth as was the sky to the earth. On the other hand Sakura let out a sigh of frustration. She wouldn't be in her house anytime soon apparently. Of course the other two males sighed for far less honorable reasons, it was for resignation to their imminent meeting with a certain black haired artist.

The brown haired man who entered the shop was Kakashi's younger cousin. He had big brown eyes that he used to scare the three best friends as children. Unsurprisingly, Naruto would still flinch whenever they brought it up, and even pale considerably whenever the thirty years old man tried it. After the death of his sister, Yamato had to take care of her son, Sai, seeing as the father left her during her pregnancy. He was an architect who took jobs depending on his mood, but he excelled in what he was doing. Thus, why he could choose what project to do or not. However, when his cousin and best friend called for help, he was there for him. Kakashi had been the one who helped him with Sai when he first started to take care of the youngster six years ago. He was carrying a box which clearly contained cleaning materials. They obviously were planning on cleaning the house immediately.

"Good afternoon, Kakashi-san! Hello dickless-kun, Bastard-kun, hag-chan!" The pale man said with a small smile, contrasting with the annoyed twitch that broke on the forehead of each member of the three musketeers. Sai was a dark haired boy with black onyx eyes, making him look like Sasuke's twin. The first time he met the inseparable trio was during his first year in Konoha High. He used to live in Suna, in the region of Wind, but after the death of his mother he moved to live in Konoha with his uncle, and became a shell of what he used to be. He hardly ever smiled and when he did it was an obviously fake one. He closed himself off the world and forgot how to deal with people. Sai was sure that if it wasn't for Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, he would still be an emotionless mess, or even worse, addicted to drugs and harming himself. He too was studying in KU, alongside his best friends, but was majoring in Art. He was already selling his painting, but decided to remain in University and graduate with his friends.

Although the bright blond, cheerful pinkette and brooding brunette knew that he called those names not as to mock them, but as terms of endearment, they couldn't help but be annoyed each time he used them, which meant always. Sakura tried to calm herself down by telling herself that he meant the opposite of what he was saying. Taking a deep breath and counting backwards from ten, she finally opened her eyes and looked at the fighting idiots next to her. It was amazing how fast Naruto changed the most stoic men she knew into children as hotblooded as he was.

Looking around herself she noticed that both the supposed mature men had disappeared, Kakahi behind his porn book that he insisted was a romance novel (as if!) and Yamato...was returning with a piece of paper which he glued to the front window. It wasn't as if someone would venture somewhere so far away from Konoha at... Ten to eight in the evening. Sharing her thoughts aloud to her ex-sensei, she noticed the sudden quietness of the room and the weird looks sent to her direction from everyone except Naruto and Sasuke.

The former burst in an uncontrollable fit of laughter while the latter just sighed exasperatedly. Removing his person from the still laughing blond and the perplexed brunette, Sasuke took her arm and started pulling her toward the front door. Opening it brusquely, he pushed her outside and, with an amused look in his eyes, smirked at her with his infamous smirk that would have her swooning was she still twelve years old.

"W-what?!" Was all she could mutter before she looked thoroughly around her. She stood in the same street that Yamato and Sai lived in. She knew that if she continued a few blocks down, she'd find her apartment and Naruto's and from there, turning left she was in Konoha's Main Street where KU was Sasuke's home was.

Her mouth opened but not a sound left her lips thus closing it and opening it again repeatedly, resembling a gaping fish, much to the amusement of her dark haired best friend. "But how?" All she got was a glance directed behind her. Looking back at the café, all she could say was "oh." It was the same place that she and Naruto wanted to buy when they were in high school. It was true that the house wasn't exactly in the best of shapes, but all that mattered to them was that it was a two story house that would make the perfect meeting place.

She and Naruto would always walk through this street toward Sai's place, which was conveniently in front of a park that held so many memories. It was where they met and formed the Konoha 12 which was later turned into Konoha 13 after Sai joined, then the Konoha 16 with the arrival of the Sand Siblings as they were nicknamed.

Unlike the Akatsuki, which always met at the mall or some sort of hidden lair, their group, or gang ("it's cooler and manlier." "Do you have something to add Naruto?" "Nah I'm fine. But I think that gang is better since it's more feminine, hehehe."), would always meet at the park. Though it was an acknowledged fact that the Konoha 16 didn't deal with the underground activities and such, except for Sakura and Tenten who wouldn't miss a chance to beat up someone into a bloody pulp.

If it wasn't for the Akatsuki, Konoha wouldn't be as peaceful as it was. Besides, Akatsuki worked with the Police Department, especially with the General Superintendent being a member, and delt with the less than honorable works. Furthermore, the other gangs didn't stand a chance facing them, as seeing with Sound, Hebi and Taka and so many others that made people question their sanity for going against the infamous Akatsuki. The only existing gang that didn't fight them was the Konoha 16. Although rumors said that it was due to the Uchiha brothers belonging to different gangs, everyone who met and talked to one of the Konoha 16 knew that they weren't like all gangs, rather justa a group of friends with a name.

The blush haired woman walked back with her dark haired best friend inside the future café. Naruto had stopped laughing and started a one-sided argument with Sai, seeing as the pale man only said a word or two with a small smile once Naruto shut up. Turning her gaze toward the owner of the _bright _idea, she saw him giggling like a school girl with '_naughty Najiro' _hereand three. Obviously one of the protagonist was Najiro. Sighing, she saw that Yamato was drawing furiously on a paper. Well, at least he wasn't completely insane like the other members of her family.

Turning her head toward Sasuke, the pinkette found him typing on his phone listening to something with the earphones. Without even looking she knew that he was playing at **'Asphalt 8'. **Ever since he installed the goddamn app on his phone, she would always see him with his eyes glued to the screen. And whenever she would lecture him about the dangers of his addiction to the small device, he would always tell her that she didn't understand the pleasure it brought.

Looking back to the day that sealed her fate, she knew that Sasuke was right. Not even six months after her first discovery of Kakashi's new house, she had a part-time job with said man and was addicted to the same game she used to reprimand Sasuke of being too much addicted to it. Truthfully, there was a time when her grades dropped drastically, to the point of being almost expelled. If it wasn't for Sasuke confiscating her phone and always helping her out, she was sure that she'll be out on the street. Shivering at the thought of not achieving her lifelong dream, she opened the door to Konoha's Café, remembering when they all fought over the café's name.

Honestly, she still couldn't understand how the silver haired man managed to convince her to work for him. However, since she was completely honest with herself she had to admit that it was quite enjoyable to work there. Besides, she created her own coffee that would always make her day. Of course, she never told anyone its secret and she didn't let Kakashi sell it. Naruto and Sasuke would always compare them to Mr. Krab and Plankton from '**Spongebob'**. It was her own special concoction and she only made it for her special persons and sometimes to those who she felt like they needed it.

"Good afternoon Kakashi." The pink haired woman greeted her employer while she put her bags on a corner. "Naruto and Sasuke are going to be late because of a prank I warned them not to pull. But do they listen? Of course not!" She huffed angrily before entering the kitchen, not even waiting for Kakashi's response.

Inside the kitchen, Yamato was preparing coffee and tea. Sai was on another counter and was decorating a pinkish cake. It looked delicious and she was sure it was. Surprisingly, or not, Sai had a talent for making small treats that always left them in a gooeyq mess.

"Hello Yamato, Sai. How was your day?"

They both looked up and saw her changing in her uniform, which was a black apron. They both smiled at the polite and kindhearted pinkette. They had seen how angry she was with Kakashi and had feared that she'll release all the pent up anger using them as punching bags, just like how she always did with Naruto. Thankfully, she had matured and had a better control over her own temperament. Greeting her back, the trio chatted for a little while, before the two men presented Sakura with a full tray that she had to serve to a couple of tables. Nodding her head firmly, the pinkette set out to do her job.

The walls were of a dark mahogany wood, and the windows were covered by long thin red curtains, giving off a cozy and warm aura to the spacious room. Here and there, a few paintings made by the resident artist were put in decorated and extravagant frames. Not a single table resembled to another. Each one seemed to be of a different theme, all centering around warm colors, especially red, orange and brown.

The rose haired woman's favorite was the autumn themed one by far. On the upper side of the table, a huge tree was painted. All its leaves were brown, orange and red, signaling the autumn season. The ground was covered with the fallen leaves and quite the big pile was painted next to the tree. Looking at the table always made Sakura crave for a real pile of leaves to jump in. The chairs were of a dark brown wood, matching the one covering the ground. The bar was the same as it was three years ago, except a dozen of chairs were added next to it. The shelves behind were now filled with different glasses. Though Kakashi wanted to fill it with wine bottles, Sakura forbid him from doing so, lecturing him time and time again about its bad influence and secondary effects over his body. Stubborn as she was, he never managed to turn the café in a bar.

Placing the tray skillfully on her left hand, she opened the door and walked gracefully toward the two customers. Kakashi was sitting behind the bar, his nose buried deeply behind the latest porn book written by Jiraiya. How did she know it? The book he held was no longer the now familiar bright orange one, but of an equally bight green color. Rolling her eyes, the twenty three years old woman served a familiar redhead first then the black haired man.

"Hey, Gaara! I thought that it was your turn to bail the twin idiots out of detention." It was true. Each time one of the Konoha 16 got in trouble, the rest would find a way to free them from detention most likely and sometimes, but rarely, from prison.

"Hello Sakura." He greeted her back with a deep voice. "True, but I'm sure that a few minutes more would do them well. They have to reconsider the fact that we're not always going to save heir sorry ass."

The twenty three years old man had been her friend since they were in high school, when he first came to Konoha with his siblings. Gaara had dark red hair and sea foam green eyes, which were accentuated by the dark bags circling them. He clearly suffered from insomnia. He was quite pale, a surprising fact for someone who grew up in a place as Suna. Though he wasn't the only one, seeing as Sai also came from Suna and was paler than him. At first, he was so introverted that no one dared to talk to him. However, as he befriended the blond idiot and said blond idiot worked his _Nakama Jutsu*,_ he became more outgoing, to the point of thinking of Sakura as a little sister. Especially after he discovered that she too used to be bullied for her strange hair color.

"Hehehe... You're right, I guess that you should take your time then." Sakura said while trying to control her laughter.

"Absolutely."

Walking toward the only other customer, the short haired woman noticed the tragic aura that surrounded the dark haired man. He was sitting in her favorite table, which gained him a few brownie points. His back was facing her, but she could see that he was well-built. He was wearing a black suit matching his long black silky hair, which was tied at the nape of his neck. Putting the black coffee in front of him, she noticed that she startled him, due to the fact that his muscles tensed considerably before relaxing once again. She gave him a small smile with a 'please enjoy'. For a brief moment their eyes locked, in which she felt like he was calling out to her for help. Immediately her eyes lit up with a new flame. Walking directly toward the kitchen, the pinkette didn't notice the fact that Gaara was leaving. After all, she was a woman in mission. Her goal? Save him before it was too late.

As she started preparing her special concoction, after of course throwing out both Yamato and Sai from the kitchen, she remembered how his charcoal eyes seemed to engulf her whole presence. They were a dull black that spoke of emptiness and solitude. They expressed the void he was surely feeling inside and looked as if they used to shine so brightly that not even the darkest cloud could eclipse them. His charcoal eyes were highlighted by his thick eyelashes. Contrasting with his eyes, his face was set in a smooth mask of indifference. His thin lips were set in a grim line, and his straight nose was centered in his aristocratic face. His high cheekbones were traced by long lines that seemed to darken his pale face. Underneath the fancy suit, he was wearing a white shirt. Everything in him screamed of nobility. However she didn't feel like she was beneath the dirt he walked on, unlike the vibe she got from some of the Hyūga she had the displeasure of meeting, not that she regretted her friendship with the shy Hinata or the strict Neji.

As soon as she finished her special coffee, that also included chocolate, cream and mocha among other things, she walked with the same determination toward the dark haired stranger. He had to yet touch his drink. Obviously his problems were stressing him out too much, why he needed her drink. Placing the cup in front of him, she relished in his startled and confused expression, which only seemed to deepen as she sat in front of him. They didn't speak for a few minutes, each staring down the other. Sakura felt as if they were in a world different than the others lived in.

"How may I help you?" His voice was husky and polite, unlike how Naruto and Sasuke always spoke to people.

"Drink." Seeing him reaching toward the black coffee, she interjected. "Not the coffee."

"Why? So you can knock me out and do whatever fan girls dream of doing?" He asked, an annoyed tick marring his forehead and his voice threatening.

"Who are you? Unless I knew you, I wouldn't fan girl over you." She answered with a slight sneer. She despised how some women and girls threw themselves over men. It was utterly disgusting and she was ashamed to be of the same sex as them. "So who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. The real question is what do you want?" He asked, his face showing a tint of confusion, rather his eyes, seeing as his face was still an emotionless mask.

"Drink, then talk." She stared at him with wide determined eyes, the same look his little brother used to give him when he was still a child.

Letting loose a sigh, he took a small sip from the new beverage and immediately started drinking it more avidly. It was sweet yet sour. It was so well balanced and made his stomach fill with a warm feeling, which had no relation to the beautiful girl sitting in front of him. Putting the cup back on the table, he raised his eyes to the girl to see her watching him with a soft smile that seemed to make her whole body glow. He noticed her leaning toward him with her right hand raised. She touched the upper side of his mouth and wiped the white mustache cream that had created itself on his face. Then, the strange haired woman sucked the cream that was on her finger. He could feel his cheeks redden as inappropriate thoughts filtered through his mind. Sighing again at his weird behavior around the equally weird woman, he looked at her form.

She had emerald green eyes that shined with determination and a small pointed nose. Her pink hair was cut short, reaching only her shoulders as some bangs fell down at the sides of her heart shaped face. Her pink hair was a light silvery pink, reminiscent of the spring's cherry blossoms but also of his little brother pink haired friend. Could she be the same girl who he helped as a child? It was still a possibility, nevertheless he shouldn't hurry in conclusions.

She wasn't wearing any makeup, which honestly he found surprising, seeing as all of the female he'd ever come across were wearing tons of makeup. His mother was the only exception to that fact. Her lips were full and rosy. The dark haired man suddenly felt that his lips were dry. Running his tongue over them, he continued looking over her slim form, because he was _not _checking her out. His name wouldn't let him do so, but here he was anonymous, perhaps he could finally do whatever he wanted. She was pale, but not in a sickly way like he was sure he was. She was wearing a tank top and jeans under the black apron. Her chest was fully developed and she had the hourglass figure so many men lusted. Her slender fingers were resting over the table, playing a soft harmony as she hummed alongside. The soft sound of her voice had a calming effect over his tense muscles.

"What's upsetting you?" She asked with a small smirk, obviously showing him that she knew he was staring at her.

Clearing his throat, he answered in a voice he hoped was indifferent. "It is none of your business. Furthermore, what makes you think that I'm upset over something?"

It seemed that his answer annoyed her. "Urgh. You're just like Sasuke. You can't answer my goddamn question clearly. No, of course not." Sighing deeply, she continued in a more controlled voice. "You can't find this café, unless you were lost. It's magic." She finished with a new twinkle in her eyes, making them shine brighter than the stars in the sky.

"Magic? There's no such thing as magic. There's only reality and how much power you have."

"If you didn't believe in magic you'll never be able to find this café." She repeated. "Even if you tell yourself that there's no hope, you still wish for someone to save you." She explained, startling him once again, judging by the way his eyes widened. "Tell me what's going on? I just might help you. Besides it always feels like lifting a weight off your shoulders after you tell someone your problems. It's not like I'm going to shout to the world about a stranger's problems."

Sighing deeply, the black haired man resigned himself to a long period of talking. "My parents want me to marry some unknown woman who belongs to the higher Court."

"And let me guess, you love another woman?" Even if that truth made her insides clench inexplicably, but she had to stay objective if she wanted to help him.

He looked at her shock clear on his face, before shaking his head and answering her. "No, I don't love anyone at the moment. It is why my parents are pushing me in this arranged marriage."

"Then why don't you just refuse?" She couldn't understand. She remembered that her parents let her choose everything she did in life, so as not to blame them for her mistakes.

"It is not that simple." Noticing the still confused look she was giving him, he explained. "I've never went against my father. I always did what he told me to do." _Unlike my brother. _"Did you say Sasuke?"

"Yes... Omg, did he hurt you in any way? I swear to God that he'll never be able to ever have sex again if he helped Naruto in some of his stupid pranks." She was shaking with badly concealed anger.

Just as he was about to clear the obvious misunderstanding, the jingling signaling someone entered the café brought them both back to the real world. And faster than a bullet, a pink blur shot beside him and lunged at his brother and his blond friend. Blinking owlishly, the dark haired man stood up calmly and walked toward the fighting trio. Putting his arms around the pinkette's waist, he pulled her to his chest gently, ignoring all her struggle. Leaning his head so that his mouth touched her ear, he whispered a few choice words that made her calm down and blush so darkly that she would have put tomatoes to shame. Taking a deep breath, the blushing woman calmed herself.

"Aniki, please release Sakura." Came Sasuke's voice from the floor.

Honestly, what was going on? He was walking calmly to the café, as calm as he could with the dobe next to him. Then, he found himself on the ground just as he opened the door. As far as he knew, he didn't do anything to anger his pink haired friend. And to top it off, his older brother was hugging Sakura so intimately that it looked like they were intruding on some sensual meeting between two lovers. He whispered in her ear something making her blush and calm faster than they've ever seen her do. Yes, he honestly was lost.

"Why would I?" He asked with a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "Can't I hug my future wife?"

_What?!_

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**Fin ^_^**

**So first things first, congratulations on finishing this monster of a chapter. And secondly, this is an AU one-shot. My first ever AU :) truthfully, I wasn't planning on writing anything besides the two story that are waiting for me, but as soon as I listened to "Coffee's For Closers" by Fall Out Boy, I had to type this story. Though I do realize that this story has no relation to the actual song, but whatever. **

**Also, I needed an escape from school which is for lack of better terms sucking the life outta my body. And for those who are reading my other stories, I've already started typing the tenth chapter of Daughter of the Two Worlds and the only reason why it's not published yet is due to the fact that I've been drowning with how much work I had to do. And for A Cherry Blossom's Life, well I just need to finish DotTW so I can start the fifth chapter. However I don't know when I'm going to update since we've already started fighting the monsters called exams. **

**So without further ado, I hope that you enjoyed reading this small story, don't forget to review and tell me what you think, what's good, what's bad and the likes :)**

**sharkswillruledaWORLD is out ;)**

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**Edited on 21/10: just correcting 'some' grammatical errors and the structure, hehehe...**


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